Jonathan Brown

They’re the first on the scene at all kinds of emergencies – and now it’s their chance to shine.

In our quest to recognise the best of health care in Leeds and West Yorkshire, we are calling on readers to nominate outstanding emergency response workers as part of the YEP Best of Health Awards 2015, sponsored by Sovereign Health Care.

Our Emergency Response Worker of the Year category, sponsored by Rainbow Windows, will highlight the health workers who swing into action during medical emergencies and do not think twice about helping those most in need.

They could be paramedics, who respond to 999 calls and must keep calm in the most difficult of circumstances, or they could be other members of ambulance service and air ambulance staff, from emergency medical technicians to staff on patient transport vehicles. They could be first aid volunteers.

Nominations are now open for our fourth annual awards, which will be hosted by BBC presenter Clare Frisby at The Queens Hotel on December 7.

Simon Dunn, regional director of first aid charity St John Ambulance, feels the awards “give deserved praise to those who are often bashful about their life-saving work”. He added: “Our emergency response teams, from community first responder volunteers to ambulance paramedics and doctors, go into this challenging frontline work because they care about helping other people. It’s second nature to them to go the extra mile but their skill and dedication must be recognised.”

Top nominees will have made special efforts to keep people in our county safe, like last year’s winner Jason Carlyon. The Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust worker masterminded the Restart A Heart Day project in October last year, which saw 12,000 young people trained in CPR in 50 regional schools.

This year we are aiming to recognise top health workers in 10 categories including doctors, carers, mental health staff and community health workers. The closing date for entries is October 19.

- Alternatively, you can send your nominations to Olivia Richards, Yorkshire Post Newspapers, No1 Leeds, 26 Whitehall Road, Leeds, LS12 1BE. Please mark your entry with the category and provide your nominee’s full name, job title, work address and telephone number and if possible an email address. Also include your own name, address, phone number and email address, as well as 200 words explaining why you have made the nomination.

- The closing date for nominations is October 19.

- Winners will be picked by a panel of judges and revealed at an awards lunch on December 7.

- If you have any questions regarding the YEP Best of Health Awards 2015, email jonathan.brown@ypn.co.uk or call 0113 2388134.